Rising depth
by sunsetdragon
Summary: Jack waited in the control room for any news from Carter, but so far he hadn’t heard a word since she left. Staring hopelessly into the Stargate’s void he searched his brain for a solution, some way of helping her, but the truth was he knew he couldn
1. Default Chapter

**Prologue **

She opened her eyes. The bright lights above her blinded what little sight she had and aggravated the headache growing over her right eye. But none of that mattered, she could live with the pain, she knew what had to be done. Her Long black hair had fallen loose in the struggle, and now laid either side of her. All her nails were broken and bloody. Her usual smooth olive skin was now covered in layers of dirt and sweat, her clothes shabby torn over cuts and bruises. As she struggled to get up dark shadows appeared around where she lay. Her body was too weak to help her up, too weak to even turn her head to see who the shadows were. She tried to move her arms but they were tied with what felt like rope. Though she couldn't be sure what she was seeing of feeling any more. As they crept closer pain shot up her legs. She tried to move but the pain worsened with every breath. One by one the lights went out and all went dark. Her legs were broken from the fall and she had concussion. All this only made her feel more helpless and alone than she had been on any other mission, but then this wasn't like any other mission. This one really mattered, this one really counted. As she laid in agony her eyes began to adjust. They were back.

**Chapter 1**

Jack waited in the control room for any news from Carter, but so far he hadn't heard a word since she left. Staring hopelessly into the Stargate's void he searched his brain for a solution, some way of helping her, but the truth was he knew he couldn't. He couldn't risk the mission being jeopardised even if it cost his best woman. That didn't of course mean any of this was ok to him. If he could he would send every man he's got into that gate to get her back, but being in charge didn't mean you could make all the rules all the time.

"jack!" Daniel had just strolled into the control room with that look on his face which meant he was worried but trying to hide it. He was still in his uniform even though this was meant to be his day off. His hair was scruffy and the bags under his eyes told Jack he had been up all night working. "Any news from Sam yet?"

"No" Jack replied. Even as he said the word his heart jumped a beat at the thought of her not coming back. "She was meant to report in 5 hours ago, but nothing yet" He paused waiting for Daniel's reply but it didn't come. He looked at him and saw the worry in his eyes. The same worry he too was feeling.

"That's unlike Sam. Maybe we should go in after her. She could be-"

"I know Daniel, but we can't. I have my orders even if I hate sticking to them, for once I really have too."

Daniel moved forward to stand next to him. Together they starred into the empty gate room, together they dreaded the prospect of everything they had worked for crashing into oblivion.

Sam tensed as the figures surrounded her. Their faces were blacked out by the darkness. One of them pressed something on a control panel beside her. Instantly the table she was laid on began to change, it moved bringing her into an upright position. She screamed as the pain from her broken legs became unbearable. A faint light began to brighten in front of her, slowly things around her became visible. Her eyes were spinning round in their sockets trying to find some way out, trying to find some way of stopping all this. If only things had happened differently. 'No one here to save you this time' She thought. 'No one here to get to you in the nick of time'. One of the figures came into the light. They were wearing a black hooded cloak, their face was blacked out but their body shape seemed human. Sam knew better, they were far from human, even if the bodies were similar in shape and design. These creatures were cunning and dangerous. They could give the Goa'uld a run for their money. The figure now looming beside her removed his hood to reveal the face that could bring down planets at a time. He was so young, barely out of his teens with such an innocent face. His eyes were an ice cold blue and his skin was pale white. His short blonde hair was perfectly shaped to cover his head, not a single hair out of place. There was only one small difference between humans and the creatures surrounding her. In their eyes there were no pupils, no small black circle to let light in. They didn't need that. Something so small and innocent was their most deadly weapon. With their eyes they could change the course of nations.

He stared at her. She tensed her body, waiting for whatever was about to happen. She wasn't afraid of them, there was no point fearing the inevitable. She had faced death so many times before it seemed a part of everyday life, wondering whether she would ever get back, if she would ever see her team her friends again, whether she would see Jack. As thoughts whirled through her mind the figure known as Lokal spoke. "Major Carter, why have you come to destroy us? We showed you hospitality, gave you medical supplies and information yet you seek to end our race. Why?" His face showed no expression, she was unsure if he was being serious with his words or being manipulative, trying to put _them_ across as the ones who suffer. His cold eyes stared at her without blinking. The pain was beginning to subside though she knew this wasn't a good sign. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came. The world was slowly going dark again, but this time it was her eyes going dark. As she slipped into unconsciousness her last sight was of Lokal resting his hand on her arm and placed something in her hand, what she didn't know. The world, reality, time, slipped away from her and she was left to dream of better days.

Teal'c lit the candles around the circle he had made one by one. One by one they lit up the room to bring calm to his tortured mind. The circle would help guide him to the place he was seeking. No one ever really understood why he did this, though many had tried it for themselves. Perhaps he was seeking calm in himself, or was he really seeking a god he no longer had. Someone who would not mislead him into slavery, and condemn his family to a life time of shame. He sat in the centre of the circle he had made out of sand from his home planet. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift into the deepest realms of his imagination. His son Ryack stood before him holding out a hand. His face was covered in dirt and cuts. He took it, it felt so real, so young. The thought of being with Ryack was painful, he had left him behind so many times, and every time was more difficult than the next. Not knowing if he would see him again, whether his luck had finally run out. Teal'c was led forward. A thick mist fell over them like a storm at sea and in the distance he saw figures coming towards them. Dressed in white, they seemed to float across the floor he assumed was there. Their faces were hidden from view, but he could make out the silhouettes if they came a little closer. It was hard to tell where he was, the mist made it difficult to see more than a few metres around him. He could hear them speaking, but softly he could hardly make out their words. The voices seemed so familiar. The figures seemed so familiar. What did this mean? Why was he being guided here, to this place? They were almost visible, any moment now he would find out who they were. Any second they would come into....

"Teal'c?" Jack as usual walked in at just the right moment. Just as quickly as they had come into view the figures flew backwards into the mist. His son Ryack let go of his hand and disappeared. He was back in his room with Jack starring at him with a look that said 'oops?' The candles still burned around him, but judging from the amount of wax running down the sides Teal'c had been gone a long time, maybe an hour. Yet it only felt like five minutes, where had all the time gone? Teal'c stood up showing no sign that he was deeply annoyed by this interruption. He placed his hands behind his back and tilted his head, almost bowing to Colonel Jack O'Neil.

"Erm did I interrupt something?"

"No O'Neil, you did not" Teal'c thought it best not to tell Jack anything to do with his meditation as he has found that it usually goes strait over the top of his head. Jack straitened up.

"Ok well sorry anyway. I was just taking a stroll around the block and thought id drop by and see how my old buddy Teal'c was doing."

"Has there been any word on Major Carter?" Teal'c saw Jack's eyes flicker as he mentioned her name and guessed the answer would be no.

"No, nothing yet. But you know Carter, likes to keep us on our toes." The mood changed to become somewhat uncomfortable for both. Teal'c's expression was unchanged but inside he was worried. He had lost a friend before from SG1. It was not easy then and he did not wish to have to re live that experience.

Teal'c was a very hard man to read. He was dark in colour and mainly built of muscle. He had only recently shown the ability to smile and if you were lucky you might even catch a laugh. His sense of humour needed a lot of work, but he was trying. Teal'c had recently started to let his hair grow. Not too much but it certainly gave him an essence of normality. The gold tattoo on his forehead was unmissable. If he went out in public he had to wear a hat in case anyone recognised it. They couldn't afford to take any risks. He had had problems when he was allowed an apartment outside the SGC. Now he was confined to base unless there was a damm good reason. He had a habit of trying to help where help was not needed. But his heart was true and he had never let them down. Jack was the opposite. His was muscled but skinny all the same. His hair had turned grey and he was starting to look tired. He had brown eyes which you could get lost in if you stared to long. They showed a life time of pain, The loss of his son, collapse of his marriage, and now the thought of loosing one of his best team members. He had recently been promoted to commander of the SGC and as usual was taking it all in his stride. He was the joker of the group and had the ability to put a lighter edge on a tense situation. But this was no time to crack jokes, they were all worried, afraid even. Things must have gone horribly wrong for Carter not to contact. They all knew what this could mean.

"Will there be a rescue mission?" Asked Teal'c.

"No word so far on how we should proceed. The president wants to make sure we give her enough time, and even then I'm not sure if he'll let us go in after her."

"Do you intend to leave Captain Carter or mount your own rescue mission if necessary?" Teal'c raised one eye brow at Jack, knowing full well he had questioned Jack's ability to take orders.

"What would make you think I would 'mount my own rescue mission' Teal'c?" Jack looked back at him, but was not surprised at the comment as he knew he had considered this many times in the last 8 hours.

"During my time with you, I have come to realise you do not like to leave a man behind even if it jeopardised your career." They stared at each other. Teal'c knew he would do whatever it takes, they had done it for him before he would do it for them. Jack felt the same, he cared about Sam more than he had ever told anyone. She was the only one he couldn't stay angry at. She had saved him many times before. This time it was his turn to save her. No more words needed to be said between them. They had made their decisions, together they would fight for Sam. No one gets left behind on Jack's team. They headed towards the control room and to find Daniel.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She was walking round the SGC, the lights were off but her flash light showed her the way. 'Not much further she thought'. She was headed to the command room, yet again the lights had been switched off to stop the next disaster from striking, whatever that was. Up ahead she could hear voices. Their words were jumbled as they were all talking at once. Certain words seemed to stand out though as she edged closer, "Mission" and "failure". She switched off her torch as lights from a room ahead began to fill her sight. As swiftly and calmly as she could she headed towards the room. From her knowledge of the base she had never seen this room before, nor this corridor for that matter. The more she thought of it everything did seem odd. Her vision was misty, though she could put that down to the lighting, but them why had she never been to this place before? She was sure she knew the entire SGC off by heart. The room was now only a few metres away. The door was open so the light was pouring into the corridor. Voices grew louder yet still unclear. More words stood out "Carter" they were talking about her. She put the words together "carter" "mission" "failure". They were saying she had failed the mission. But she got back ok, she was in the SGC now. What had gone wrong? She was at the door, slowly she opened it to look inside. Trying not to be seen she put her head round the door. General Hammond was there, O'Neil, Teal'c, Daniel and Pete. They were all dressed in black, black suites. At the back she saw people crowded round something. She stood up strait and edged around the door so she was inside the room. No one noticed her come in which was odd. She went over to where general Hammond and Jack were standing. They turned away Just as she reached them. Suddenly everyone was turning to face Pete standing at the front of the room holding his glass up. He looked distressed, as though he had been crying non stop for days. His hair was untamed, not looked after. Black rings surrounded his eyes and their normal warm and loving glow had faded into a dim lifeless stare. He raised his glass up to the ceiling and spoke. No sound came out, his lips moved but Sam couldn't hear anything, from anyone or anything at all. They all spoke in unison and suddenly they were all looking at her holding their glasses to her. Their eyes were unseeing, there were no pupils, they looked strait through her. Something must be behind her. Everything was moving in slow motion, she spun round, the torch was gone from her hand lying on the floor beside her. In front of her now was an open coffin. She walked towards it. When the occupant came into sight. She couldn't breath, it was her. Cold and lifeless, white as snow in her black dress. This couldn't be right, she was right there could they not see she was alive. She starred for what seemed a life time though only a few seconds. Without warning the eyes of her counter part opened and starred at her, breaking into a cruel smile. Sam Froze. No pupils. Cold blue eyes starring at her. A hand reached out and grabbed her.

Sam sat up gasping for breath. What had just happened? She needed a moment to focus to realise she was no longer in the SGC. She was right where she didn't want to be. The cold blue walls, the strange devices and the uncomfortable bed she was on. She was still off world. Still on her mission. A dream, it was all a dream, she wasn't dead, she wasn't one of them. Her heart was racing, she was shaking from the shock. It felt so real, if she hadn't woken up she could have sworn she was really there. Reality swamped her, she was now fully aware of her surroundings. Something was different. She looked down, there were no cuts or bruises, no dirt. Her skin was it's usual colour, her clothes were not ripped. She was confused, looking round franticly for someone in the room, but no one was there. She was in perfect condition apart from her heart racing. Her legs were no longer broken. What had they done to her? She needed answers, she needed to know what was going on and why she was still there. Why hadn't they killed her yet? They hadn't shown mercy to anyone before. Anger filled her head. She was angry for what was happening to her, angry at her mission and predicament. 'Where the hell is Lokal?' "Lokal!" she yelled.

Daniel was sitting in his office studying ancient texts to find some clue to who Sam was up against. There was no record of them so far, though they called themselves the J'vali. The J'vali were a deadly race, able to take a persons life just by looking at them. Daniel knew this all to well. He had watched while Jason Matters from SG: 7 was thrown into the air and shaken like a Childs doll. He screamed out in pain. His head jolting about his shoulders with a pain stricken expression. A sharp snap followed by more signified the J'val had done his job. The next moment he was lying on the floor lifeless. His eyes open starring into nothingness. That had been a hard day for everyone. They barely got back. Daniel knew this couldn't happen to Sam, he wouldn't let it. Flicking through books was all he seemed to do since she left, no off world missions. He closed it and stared blankly at the wall in front, he had done this so many times before he knew where all the chips, marks and lines of paper were even with his eyes closed. He stared for what felt like forever, he thought of Sam, her mission. No contact for 9 hours now. That wasn't like Sam. He sat bolt up right as he suddenly realised where he'd heard the name J'vali before. He ran from his chair to the door and into the corridor. Personnel starred as Daniel ran top speed towards the command room. When he arrived he found Jack and Teal'c talking in the corner. They both looked concerned, still no word from Sam then.

"Jack" He said panting from his run. Jack spun round to see where the frantic call had originated. "Jack I know who the J'vali are. I know what they do, I remember it all now".


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Alexia walked into the sun light. It was good to feel the warmth on her cold skin. Her long chestnut hair blew in the wind. She felt fresh, breathing cool clean air again. Her clothes were dirty and she needed a wash desperately, but there was little they could do below ground. All the water they had was for drinking, and she was glad of it in the days when it became too hot to bear. She was standing in the middle of a large plain once covered in greenery, the grass was beginning to grow back, small patches here and there, flowing and rippling in the wind. There was no colour now, no red, yellow, purple flowers covering the fields, bringing hope to many of better days. Now the grass was a symbol of peace, safety, though she didn't think that would last long. They may be back soon, to finish what they started. To end the massacres by whipping out their entire civilisation. She stood wearing little more than a petite top and shorts, all covered in dust and dried mud from the caves. The warm sun burnt into her, reminding her of her life before and bringing her close to tears. Soon she would be able to take a bath in the lake, get clean clothes. She held onto the thought, the one thing she had to keep her from collapsing into a fit of tears. They were safe. For now.

The men had come without warning. They offered them friendship, a way out of their planetary wars, but instead showed them unwavering hostility. Killing every man woman and child they could get their hands on. Few were lucky enough to have escaped.

Alexia moved towards her destination with a new found purpose. Though her body was weak and tired she would find them. She would somehow find a way to seek revenge for her people, for her family, and for all the pain she now felt inside.

The figure flowed from the darkness. Cool light highlighting the face. It was Lokal. He strode towards her, aggravation emanated from every stride. Sam had been shouting his name for 10 minutes yet she had not moved from the table. His pale skin seemed to glow against the shadows behind him.

As Lokal reached the table she tensed. Her slim figure sitting up to face him. With anger in her eyes to show she would defend herself.

"There's no need to greet me with such hostility. No harm will come to you…. Yet." He said coolly. His voice so smooth and hushed it almost softened the threat of the word 'yet'.

"And why is that?" Sam asked. Never taking her eyes off Lokal she stood so she was only a metre in front of him. Their eyes locked as he contemplated an answer.

"We believe in sharing Sam. For me to answer your question, I need you to answer some of mine." He started to circles her. Never moving within a meter of her, but never ceasing to let his blue eyes burn through her. It sent shivers down her spine as she thought about what he said. By answering questions she may be forced to tell them about the SGC and the mission. No. She was curious but she would never tell.

"I won't answer your questions." Every muscle in Sam's body wanted to lash out and kill him where he stood. But she would never get close enough.

"In time Sam. In time you will answer every question I have. In time you will be one of us." With that he left the room. Swallowed by the shadows. All Sam heard was the door click shut, and she was left in the silence to dwell on what had passed.

**Authors note:**

Ok its been ages since ive updated this!

I started writing chapter 3 a year ago.. have had to change my story line cos it ended up being too simaler to that of the current 9th series. So am now making it up as I go along! Lol so sorry for the short chapter. Much to think about before I continue ahead. Hope this keeps you going for a while..

Thanx for all my reviews! They keep me going and help me with what to write!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4!**

A/N – Sorry for the lateness of this chapter… I had this big idea.. then I forgot it…. Then I remembered it! I'm good like that. grins

The water was cool and crisp against her now burnt skin. Alexia took off her clothes and plunged into the lake. Letting it swallow her up and sweep away her fears. All she felt before she rose to the surface was the coldness of the water. No sound. No one there to tell her to run, or tell her that her family were dead. For those few moments she was totally alone. Totally free.

Then the sun beat down on Alexia as she hit the surface, making her way back to shore with tired arms and legs. She had no idea that a dark figure was watching her, studying her.

"Hey Daniel. What an entrance!" Jack said as Daniel caught his breath, papers being waved about with strange symbols covering them. Jack wasn't ever going to pretend he knew what they were.

"I know who the J'vali are!" Daniel repeated, Jack and Teal'c waited patiently for him to continue. "Back when the ancients were still around, before they ascended this big thing happened and then another thing and then they went off and ascended and as time progressed this other thing happened that…"

"Daniel your making no sense. Slow down and explain it fully."

"Sorry, it's just a lot to take in. Ok Before the ancients ascended they built the star gates, explored new worlds and came across a dying race called the Nutaws. At least I think so, the translation is vague. Anyway they were plagued by a disease which had been slowly killing their people over centuries. The ancients saw potential in their race because of the technological advancements they had already made, so they helped create a cure. It involved integrating some of the ancient DNA into a toxin, or something like that. From this point the texts I have go onto say that it worked and the Nutaws survived." Daniel paused for breath and to let everything sink in before continuing. "All except one brief note at this bottom of this page." He held up a yellowed and crinkled piece of paper, covered in yet more symbols for jack to look at blankly. "We found this on our last off world mission. It says 'But out of the calm came the storm, out of the storm came the eye, the world pulled into a spiral of the integrated race. They evolved and they will come again'"

Jack and Teal'c stared at him, not quite sure where he was going with this. Daniel searched their faces for some clue as to what they were thinking.

"Ok" Said Jack "What does that all mean?"

"Well I'm not quite sure but I think, it means that when the ancients cured the Nutaws that they helped them to evolve. But the part about the world spiralling makes me think that the disease evolved to. Jack what I'm trying to say is that I think the J'vali were created by a disease, and that it's able to spread."


End file.
